, 1887-05-25

n de Kitchen, an lone shet dc do. see
liTa or 'um in de yard an one under lie
steps"
The situation began to assume a serious
aspect Mrs. Matson at once had all the
doors closed, and proceeded to inspect the
surroundings from every window In the
house.
What she saw appalled, her. The fierce
rays OF the sun made every object appear
to pulse and throb, and. half blinded rs
she was with the glare, it took some Mtilr
time for her to satisfy herself that sic
was not mistaken.
Twisting and twining among the fiow-
ers she counted at least q dozen serpents.
Ihey dotted the lawn in > ont of the house,
and were crawling along the winding
walks. In the shady pack yard it was
still worse. The little Enclosure appeared
70 be n living, wriggling mass of shining
scales and glittering eyes. Many of the
6naie5 were running under the house, but
how many had already reached that place
OF shelter the frightened watcher was, Of
course, unable to tell.
Mrs Mntson retreated to the spacious
hal and clasped her hands over her eyes.
1t was n peculiar noise that she heard. It
sounded like IN occasional muffied flap.
lapi What could 1t bei 1t was easy
enough to answer the question. The noise
could only have been made by the scores,
and perhaps hundreds, of squirminp,
twisting reptiles under the house.
For the first time In her life Mrs. Mat
son was thoroughly terrified. Obeylng a
sudden impulse, she rushed into the room
assigned to the invalid.
Aunt Lucy stood covering in one cor
ner, trembling with fear and unable to
utter n word.
Sitting upright In bed, with an unnatu-
raj glitter in his eyes and darting his odd
little head from side to side, was the un-
known guest.
Ladies" he said in an unfamiliar for
eign brogue, "be not afraid. No harm
ter does house. Me soon be meself.
Strange theengs alarm de ladee. Eets all
right"
Mrs. Matson waited to hear no more;
she ran frantically to tho parlor anu boited
herself In.
"Laleel Iadce"
1t was the voice Of the stranger ont In
the hall. There was II sound as OF some
body struggling, and the mellow voice of
Aunt Lucy was upllfted In vain remon-
STRANGE.
"Missus, oh, missus," she cried, dds
yer Mister Man hab lone got IN his
clothes and is or takin' ON pow'ful. He
say he bound fer ter 60"
"Ladee, good by. I promised no harm
teT ueeS house. 80 1 go. Good by,
good byi'
There was another struggle and a yell
from Aunt Lucy, and then the openino
and closing OF Il door signaled the mans
departure.
From the back windows the mistress of
the house and the half denlented women
saw the s~trangest sight that mortal eyes
ever beheld.
Onward, down the slope leading to the
river walked or rather glided the stranger
From every clump of shrubbery and
every tuft of grass darted a snake.
The man swayed to and fro, whirlfnp
his arms, welcoming and beckoning this
legion of serpents. Whizzing through the
grass, tossing their heads and Kissing all
the while, the excited moccasins soon
closed in upon the nan They twined
around his legs, girdled his waist, hung
upon his arms and shoulders and wrapped
themselves about his neck until he was a
moving tower of snakes.
onward, down to the river whirled this
strange combination of monsters. The
distracted watchers at the big house
strained their eyes TO see the end OF IL all.
The moving mass disappeared. There
was a plunge into the yellow waters of
the broad river and all was over.
=
When John Matson returned late thu,
after Don he found a perfect bedlam at his
house. From the servants he could
gather nothing but the widest and most
incoherent tales. His f~ainting wife was
in the first stage of brain fever, and 1t was
many n long day before she could answer
his questions.
ut is such q blank business tho whole